As We Cease To Notice
by Br00klynBabe
Summary: The story of Alex Blaze and how her life spun out of control until the Mercers came to help her get back on her feet. Or something along those lines. Check it out. Please RR
1. Welcome Home

**Chapter One: Welcome Home**

Just inside the warm Detroit airport on a cold December day, a tall young brunette had left the plane taking in a deep breath of the familiar air.

"Alex!" A deep voice called, Alex had turned towards where the voice was coming from and she grinned broadly as her eyes rested upon the figure of her cousin, Derrick.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Where's Mike? Being a lazy ass at home?"

"Actually," said another voice behind her, "this lazy ass was standing in a line up for half an hour just to get you a freakin' coffee."

Alex turned to face Michael and wrapped her arms around him to give him a hug, but not before grabbing her coffee from him hand.

"Thanks Mike, clearly you'll never forget me and my coffee addiction." Mike and Derrick both let out a small laugh. It was so good to have Alex home again. Living with them, even under the crappy circumstances.

The trio climber the old wooden stairs up to the apartment.

"Der, this place is getting creakier everytime I stay here." Alex said with mild amusement in her voice.

When they finally got to the third floor, Mike opened the door and let everyone in.  
"Hey Mike," Derrick called out from under the many suitcases Alex had brought, "grab me a beer will ya?"

"Derrick you aren't even in the door yet and already you're getting a beer?" Alex criticized as she went down the yellowing hallway to her room. Derrick had replied with some sarcastic remark but Alex couldn't hear because she had already entered her room.

It hadn't changed at all. The dark blue paint chipping off the walls. The many posters littering the door and around the window, And where ever there weren't posters there was writing. Song lyrics – song that Alex had written herself, some from her favourite sons. Mini drawings also covered the walls, as well as comments people wrote whenever they entered the room. Alex looked at one of the comments and smiled as she read the words "Do The Monkey With Me." That comment in particular had a little monkey right underneath it doing a little dance. Alex walked over to the bookshelf that was on the left wall. She ran her fingers along the spines of some of her favourite stories. She had everything from rolling stone magazines to Hemingway and Shakespeare. She had to have had over three hundred books scattered all around the room. Alex wasn't much for cleaning, and last time she left she thought she'd be gone for a week, not two and a half years.

Alex dropped her book bag on the bed and quickly took out two note books and a few pens. She laid them on the well worn desk she had used for so many years. Lexie dove back into her bag and grasping what she was looking for, she checked to see that the doorway was clear before bringing out her secret possessions. Three joints, two caps of e, and some cocaine. Alex glimpsed down at what was in her before shoving it unceremoniously into her nightstand drawer.

"Lexie," Alex immediately turned to face her cousin "we're going to the Mercers for dinner. Bobby wants to see you again. Oh and they got someone new you'd probably like to meet."

Alex breathed a sigh of relief "of course. I'll be out in a moment."

"Alright sweetie."

Alex turned to grab a pair of jeans.

"Lexie?"

"Yeah Der?"

"It's really good to have you home."

Alex smiled and looked Derrick in the eyes.

"It's good to be home." was all she could reply.


	2. Dinner With The Mercers

**Chapter Two: Dinner with the Mercers**

"Damn it's cold out here." Mike said as he slammed his car door closed.

"No kiddin" Derrick said sarcastically, "it's only a Detroit winter."

Alex had gone up the steps into the enclosed porch. She took a quick sweep of the outside room and smiled to herself. Nothing seemed to change in Detroit.

"Don't zone out on us Lexie." Mike said with a smile, as he knocked harshly on the door.

"Jack!" Came a thunderous voice from inside, "Jackie, get down here."

A click from the inside and suddenly light poured on the dark street. An averaged height, built, middle aged man stood in the doorway.

"Bobby! How's the arm?" Mike questioned as he entered the house, "That kid hit you pretty good."

Bobby chuckled, "The kids hurtin more than me, he dislocated his shoulder on that check."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Derrick jump in as he entered. "Oh, and here's that twenty. Nice bet." Bobby nodded and Derrick made room so Alex could come in.

"Alexandra." Bobby said with dismay. "My, my, darling. You look so grown up."

Alex smiled and replied with "Thanks Bobby, and remember- it's Alex."

"Mhmm. This coming from the girl who ran up to me when she was five, and said 'I'm Princess Alexandra! Not Alex! Alexandra!'"

"Yeah, yeah" Alex said rolling her eyes, "weren't those the days."

Just then Lexie noticed a figure crouched at the top of the stairs. She was instantly attracted to his dirty blond wild hair and his punk rocker look. He was really skinny but oh so adorable. Alex had never met this boy before. 'He must be the new Mercer.' Lexie thought.

"Jack." Bobby interrupted her thoughts. "She doesn't bite common down."

Bobby looked at Michael and gave a bit of a shrug before motioning them into the kitchen.

"Angel's out with La Vida Loca. He'll be back for dinner," Bobby explained, "and Jerry's just picking up the girls from dance."

"Who's cooking then?" Mike asked, just a little worried for his health. "I ain't eating the shit you make. I'll die."

Bobby glared at him. "I ain't cooking. Camille is." And as they entered the kitchen Derrick and Michael were both greeted by Camille.

Alex was oblivious to who was cooking, and where Angel was, and what Jerry was doing. She was still standing at the bottom of the stairs looking curiously at the new face.

"So you're Jack then?"

"Yup."

"Oh. Well I'm Alexandra. Well no – I'm Alex – or Lexie. All my friends call me that. Alex or Lexie I mean."

'Shit," she thought to herself, 'I'm rambling.' Jack noticed how Alex quickly went silent and he thought for lack of a better thing to do, why not just go down the stairs. By the time he reached the last stair, Alex was ready to go with questions again.

"So are you an official Mercer?"

"Yup."

"Betcha no one messes with you at school."

"Nope."

"What grade are you in? How old are you?"

"11th grade. And I'm seventeen."

"Cool. I'm grade ten. And sixteen." She added as an afterthought.

'This guy is so quiet' Alex thought as she started walking into the kitchen.

Dinner was uneventful. Angel and Jerry showed up eventually and they all sat and ate around the table. The usual bickering and catching up with what was happening occurred.

Jet lag finally hit Alex about one a.m. when she looked at the clock and said something about needing sleep after the long flight. Jerry had already gone home with his family, and Angel had gone to bed. The thought of sleep to Lexie was to powerful. Derrick had seen Alex start to fade away and motioned to Mike that they should go. They all got up and grabbed their coats saying their goodbyes. Lexie hugged Jack and then turned to Bobby who kissed her on the cheek and gave her a great bear hug.

"Drive safe!" Bobby called as they clambered into the old car.

"See ya tomorrow." Mike called back

Bobby waved and turned to go inside as their car was turning into the main streets. However Bobby didn't get far inside the house before he heard a blood curtailing crunch. Bobby knew that sound all to well and his heart dropped as he turned and saw two cars smashed together. One of which was bright orange and obviously a racer. The other was an old grey piece of crap – pinned between the orange car and a metal telephone pole.

"Fuck!" Bobby yelled out.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. I realized with my last chapter there were a lot of spelling issues. I tried to clear that up in this chapter. I'm going to try to update every day and if not everyday, every second day. Love the reviews and they only give me better ideas. **_Critisim is good!! _**I do like hearing what I can do to improve so please tell me. That's it for today. Hope you're hooked P

Lovs  
BrooklynBabe


	3. A Bit of Loss

**Chapter Three: A Bit of Loss**

Bobby ran towards the cars, leaving Jack behind on the front porch dialling 911 oh his cell. Moments after he placed the call, Jack ran over to help Bobby. The car had been t-boned, the drivers side caved in from the orange car, and the passengers side becoming a part of the telephone pole. The only door that you could get open was the back passenger's side. Bobby practically ripped it open with all his might and slid into the car with haste. Alex seemed to be knocked unconscious. She still had a strong pulse which let Bobby breath a sigh of relief.

He reached over and checked Derrick. No pulse. He kept on searching; he must've checked the wrong place. He checked all over his friends' neck but there was still no pulse.

"Fucking hell." Was all Bobby could think. "Fuck, no – you gotta be alive – for Alex!" He said the last part aloud and Jack heard. Suddenly scared. 'Who was dead?'

Bobby had given up on Derrick for the moment, he turned to Mike hoping- praying he'd find a pulse. Once again, he found nothing.

"What the fuck!" Bobby yelled out.

"Bobby," Jack called "get Alex out of there." He could hear the sirens now coming closer and Jack somehow knew that if Alex woke up in a crashed care having paramedics poking at her, she'd freak out completely.

"Alright." Bobby said "Help me out here."

Jack took off his sweater and placed it on the grass as Bobby took the limp girl in his arms. Jack took her from Bobby with a reassuring look and Bobby went to go check on the other driver. Moments passed where Lexie was propped up against Jacks chest, while Jack just stroked her hair, trying his hardest to be soothing. Bobby could be heard from the other car talking to the guy. Clearly he was alive.

Alex stirred a little in Jacks arms bringing his attention back to her. She looked at Jack with her big brown eyes and a small grin on her face and quietly said "You have beautiful green eyes." Jack smiled and held her a little closer, as she closed her eyes and once again become unconscious.

The hospital was no picnic. Bobby and Jack had gone to the hospital with Alex and had to lie and say they were family. Alex had slept for two hours after they admitted her and she was immediately curious where her cousins were when she woke up. She was getting slightly frustrated when she asked Jack "why isn't Derrick here? He's alright isn't he?" Jack honestly had no idea how to answer – or even if he should – and since Bobby was getting coffee he couldn't just pass the question off to anyone else.

"Fine then! Don't tell me anything!" Alex screamed at Jacks silence. "Keep me out of the loop! I'll find them anyways! I don't even know why it's this huge secret."

Just at that point Bobby walked in with the Doctor. Alex turned her head to them and suddenly you could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Bobby felt for her. She had just moved back to Detroit after two and half years of a shitty lifestyle, according to Michael, and now her cousins had left her. After only maybe ten hours of being together. Bobby couldn't stand if any longer. This girl needed to know.

"Lexie," Now that he started he didn't know how he was going to go on.

"Lexie, the car, well it t-boned you guys. It pinned the car into a telephone pole." He took a deep breath; he could feel Alex's stare bore into him.

"Well," he went on "Mike and Der. They – they, uh."

"They didn't make it." Jack cut off. Bobby looked at Jack, stunned and proud at what he had done.

Alex's mouth gapped at them. They had to be mental. This had to have been a joke. But as she looked from Jack to Bobby, to the Doctor, she realized they weren't kidding. And as this realization sunk in, tears started to well up in Alex's eyes. This couldn't be. Her two favourite people were dead. Now what was going to happen? She couldn't go back to her parents'. She just couldn't. That life was too horrible. As her mind reeled with thoughts, she didn't even realize that Jack was holding her hand and stroking her hair back while silent tears escaped both of their eyes.


End file.
